He’s a man known for playing extremely complicated, yet unforgettable characters. Like Kentucky’s most loveable career criminal in "Justified." A renegade sheriff struggling to be good in the confederate south in "The Hateful Eight." A singing, snake-oil salesman of a pastor in "The Righteous Gemstones." And even a post-apocalyptic bounty hunter in the smash hit, "Fallout." But for GoDaddy’s 2025 Super Bowl commercial – the company’s first in eight years – Walton Goggins embarked on his hardest role ever: small business owner.
GoDaddy got back in the Big Game because there’s no better place to showcase our biggest innovation since domains, GoDaddy Airo®. Our AI-powered experience helps people get their businesses online in minutes with the power of AI.
Bringing AI to life through a relatable human story
We wanted to be a brand that talks about our AI in an accessible, human way. So, when it came to advertising GoDaddy Airo, we started by finding a human, universal truth that everyday small business owners would relate to on a deeper level with a little tension baked in. We found that there’s no perfect formula or set of instructions that guarantees success for new small business owners. The vast majority don’t have MBAs, unlimited funds, 36-hour days, or years of on-the-job training. We’re all faking it ‘til we make it. And you know what? That’s okay. That’s exactly why GoDaddy Airo exists. It’s for those who’d rather spend their time doing the stuff they know how to do, like designing and building their product or service - while GoDaddy Airo does the business stuff they don’t know how to do.
And that became the insight that gave us the strategic foundation the entire campaign could be built on. And from there, the idea was born.
Even if you don’t know how to take your idea and turn it into a thriving business, with GoDaddy Airo, it’s like you know what you’re doing.
“The tagline immediately landed with me,” said GoDaddy Chief Marketing Officer Fara Howard. “We've all had moments in our careers in which we felt 'over our skis' and didn't know how to do the work we were asked to do. Small business owners have told me for years that they feel that way often, particularly when it comes to the digital side of running their business. This is where GoDaddy Airo comes in — making them look like experts with the help of AI — so they can take the steps they need to with more confidence than ever before.”
The perfect actor to embody our entrepreneurial spirit
Now we needed a Super Bowl-worthy way to bring this idea to life. And who better than a person who has spent decades convincing audiences he knows what he's doing? We needed an actor. But not just any actor. We needed one who’s known for memorable characters and diverse roles. An actor who excels in both comedic and dramatic roles. We needed an (insert throat clear) “an Ac-TOR.”
Then, all of a sudden, the strangest thing happened.
We heard gallops, metaphorically speaking, in the distance. Getting louder, and more purposeful as they got closer. The world moved in slow motion as the person we’ve been looking for figuratively rode through GoDaddy’s front door perched upon a regal stallion.
Torn from the pages of GQ magazine, his envy-inducing chest beamed from his sheer, mesh, barely-buttoned, button-up shirt. He removed his sharp, suede Stetson. The burnt orange sun raked across his handsome, rugged face revealing his electric eyes and that iconic, beautiful set of pearly whites.
That man was the multi-talented, absolute gem-of-a-human-being, true national treasure, Mr. Walton Goggins.
I’m going to pause for a second to enjoy those sweet sounds from the choir of angels you’re hearing — because this was a match made in Super Bowl heaven.
Walton shares our passion for entrepreneurs
As it turns out, Walton is also genuinely passionate about small businesses and entrepreneurship. If that’s not seren-dang-dippity, I don’t know what is.
In conversations, we collaborated with Walton kicking around different business ideas, some of which he thought about over the years. And we all collectively loved the idea of launching a business with Walton’s name front and center. Thus, Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses was born, capturing his affinity for active lifestyles and fashion, specifically sunglasses. Plus, you can’t say Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses without smiling!
Next, we thought Goggle Glasses would be the perfect product idea to help turn into a legit, living, breathing online business. And we could use GoDaddy Airo to build it. It would be like the ultimate demonstration of what GoDaddy Airo can do.
From there, things pretty much got bonkers in the best way possible. Most of us blacked out periodically due to the unrelenting volume of unhinged absurdity. I guess that happens sometimes.
With the power of GoDaddy Airo’s AI, some human help, and of course Walton himself, the brand launched on social media with joyful, vibrant content like this…
Which got the media and internet buzzing…
Big game sets stage for a new GoDaddy
With a wildly successful website and social media launch under our belt, we filmed an incredible series of ads in Mexico City with production company ProdCo and award-winning director, Ian Pons Jewell. Those spots feature all the ways GoDaddy Airo helped Walton’s business become successful.
"It was such a blast to be a part of. The creative was smart, funny, and true because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing as a small business owner,” Goggins said. “And I got the best of both worlds. GoDaddy Airo helped me launch my business and my story might help other aspiring entrepreneurs to do the same. Can’t beat that.”
As we geared up for the Big Game, we announced in January Walton would be the celebrity in our ad. The Big Game spot, gracing the world’s eyeballs during the fourth quarter two-minute warning ad break, directed people to a new “Goggified” GoDaddy.com site experience where customers were presented with a special, limited time Airo™ All Access offer.
A year-long, multi-channel campaign kicked off during the week of the Super Bowl that included out-of-home, digital, radio and six new 30- and 15-second spots that featured deeper stories on how Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses used GoDaddy Airo to design a logo, create and publish the website, build order and shipping confirmation emails, and even create a social media content calendar.
"Starting out, who even knows you need something like a content calendar? Not me,” Goggins said. “But GoDaddy Airo is like magic and just makes it happen.”
It was a thrill to bring a product like GoDaddy Airo to the world on such a big stage. And we’re excited to continue making the hard-to-play role of small business owner just a little easier for Walton and millions of other aspiring entrepreneurs.
